


Wisp of Smoke

by MidnightxBluexBlack



Category: K (Anime)
Genre: M/M, Nightmares, Romance, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-09
Updated: 2017-12-09
Packaged: 2019-02-12 16:00:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12962997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightxBluexBlack/pseuds/MidnightxBluexBlack
Summary: "The bar was quiet, even though it was surely after noon by now. Mikoto didn’t mind. His control was in tatters, the nightmare fueling the flames that always rested just beneath his skin. It would be easier not to be around people right now. Easier to enjoy a few moments of tranquility in this world that wasn’t nearly as broken as his dreams."With an inferno raging inside of him at any given moment, sometimes it's hard for Mikoto to tell reality from dream.





	Wisp of Smoke

Mikoto woke up suddenly. He sat straight up in bed, muscles tense, fists clenched tight at his sides, white-knuckled as the blankets pooled around his waist. The cold December air that filled his bedroom made the bare skin of his chest prickle, though the cool temperature also helped to erase the red haze that had clouded his vision in all of his waking dreams these past few days. 

Heaving a shuddering sigh and forcing his muscles to relax, Mikoto ran his fingers through his hair, looking accusingly around the room for anything that was amiss, his nightmare still fresh in his mind. Closing his eyes against the memory, again he saw a flash of that alarmingly offensive shade of red, so relentless and foreboding and wrong, he felt that it would consume him. 

Shaking his head against such thoughts, Mikoto forced himself to climb out of bed, stretching long and hard with another heavy sigh. He picked up his shirt from where he had discarded it the night before and pulled it on, never minding the few wrinkles that littered the front. 

The bar was quiet, even though it was surely after noon by now. Mikoto didn’t mind. His control was in tatters, the nightmare fueling the flames that always rested just beneath his skin. It would be easier not to be around people right now. Easier to enjoy a few moments of tranquility in this world that wasn’t nearly as broken as his dreams.

Mikoto sat in his usual spot on the couch, comforted by the familiar indent of his shape in the seat where he had passed so many quiet hours in this place of peace. The feelings of home brought on by this place were always marred by the fear of flames, uncontrollable, and him as their source. Mikoto didn’t know how long he sat there, warring with himself, willing the flames to subside, wishing to forget that nightmare shade of red that plagued him every time he shut his eyes. 

The chime of the door opening pulled him from his reverie, Mikoto’s eyes shooting open to see who it was walking through the door. 

He was greeted by familiar brown eyes and a smile so gentle and so sad, Mikoto could feel himself breaking. Totsuka walked toward him, each step careful and purposeful, and as he leaned down in front of his king, slim, cool fingers coming to cup Mikoto’s too-hot cheek, there was a question in his eyes. 

Unable to help himself, Mikoto pulled Totsuka roughly into his embrace, unable to stop himself from shaking head to toe as he held his familiar shape against his chest, letting his fingers trail along Totsuka’s spine, knowing every curve and every bump, breathing in his scent and reveling in the warmth of his body. In this one moment, the fire inside of him died down, and he wasn’t a King anymore, just a man holding his lover in one star-crossed embrace, and his chest ached. Red replaced with pink and soft touches and so much love. 

Totsuka breathed a soft, silent sigh and nuzzled his face into the crook of Mikoto’s neck, tickling his skin, before he pulled him into a soft, slow kiss, so tender, Mikoto could feel the thousand things Totsuka wanted to say reverberating throughout his entirety. 

As Totsuka pulled away from him, Mikoto squeezed his eyes shut in grief of the moment’s passing. Again, he saw that ugly shade of red pressing against his eyelids, against the silhouette of a form so peaceful, he appeared to just be sleeping. In that moment, Mikoto knew that this was the dream, and he felt sick knowing the reality he had to return to. 

Shaking, feeling as though the world might break at any moment, Mikoto couldn’t bring himself to open his eyes again as he gave Totsuka’s hands a squeeze, desperate to keep hold of that touch, yearning to feel the cool caress of those fingers just one more time. 

“I couldn’t protect you. I’m so sorry.” 

Mikoto could feel Totsuka slowly sliding his hands free, felt him trace his fingertips up along his wrists, ghosting over the back of his neck and running through his hair before moving to his face, sliding tenderly across his fevered skin. Cool lips came to rest on his forehead, lingering and sweet and filling his nose with that scent one last time, and he leaned into the touch, his whole body quivering, so familiar and so right that he could trick himself that he was whole and well even as he fell apart amidst the howling storm that once again raged inside of him. 

Mikoto opened his eyes in time for one last smile, bittersweet and achingly beautiful, and then he was gone, leaving nothing behind but a wisp of smoke and a wound in his chest so deep that Mikoto knew he would die from the pain of it.

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for MikoTotsu week 2017. I was going or kind of a luminal space kind of vibe, but I doubt I pulled it off. Hope you enjoyed!


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